Publisher of Eagle Eye Newspaper, Daboikiabo Warmate, has retracted a defamatory publication against Prof. Ongoebi Maureen Etebu, former Vice Chancellor, Nigeria Maritime University(NMU), Okerenkoko, Delta State.
The publisher made a publication alleging that the former VC diverted N1.8 billion being staff salaries and welfare through profiteering from ghost workers on the payroll and hurriedly covered the looting by conducting a recruitment in November, 2019 and backdated it to April, 2019.
But in a retraction which was made available to newsmen in Yenagoa, Bayelsa State, Warmate said the publication was false. He said the decision to retract the publication is as a result of a pending case wherein Prof. Etebu sued the publisher and three others and the matter is before a High Court in Warri, Delta State.
With this publication made by Warmate, Prof. Etebu has been exonerated on allegation of embezzlement and fraud.
The retraction read thus,” On the 5th day of July, 2020 I published a news article with the headline ‘Re: Prof. Maureen Etebu fingered in N1.8 billion fraud’ in an online news platform known as Eagle Eyes, wherein I alleged that Prof. Ongoebi Maureen Orubide Etebu defraud the Nigeria Maritime University, Okerenkoko, Delta State, to the tune of N1, 800, 000, 000.00 (One billion, eight hundred million naira) which was meant for staff salaries and welfare through profiteering from ghost workers on the payroll, and covered the looting by hurriedly conducting a recruitment in November, 2019 but back dated to April, 2019.
“I hereby state that the news article is false and hereby retract same and render unreserved apology to Prof. Ongoebi Maureen Orubide Etebu for all the inconveniences the publication has caused her, her career and family.”
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